Thursday, May 07, 2009

This Dodger Fan Feels The Blues

No doubt Dodger fans nationwide should be upset with the news about Manny Ramirez testing positive for steroids and being suspended 50 games. Coworkers here at the Long Beach Armada are livid. Other fans are disappointed. My girlfriend, a lifelong Dodger fan who was born just weeks after the team won its last World Series in '88, expresses her disappointment and frustration here:

This Dodger Fan Feels The BluesBy Megan Murray

So this morning I was hit with some terrible news. To most, it probably means nothing. To other sports fans like me in Los Angeles, it’s a huge deal. Manny Ramirez, the pride and joy of the LA community, dubbed “Mayor” of Dodgertown, has been tested positive for drug use.

For anyone who has been paying attention to Dodger baseball recently, you know their home record was on fire, tying previous records and setting modern ones. The boys in blue were most recently tied with the Detroit Tigers in 1911 with 12 consecutive wins at home. On Wednesday May 6th, Dodgers beat the Washington Nationals 10-3 to set a modern MLB record with most consecutive wins at home.

I saw the entire game, watching with pride as my guys slaughtered DC inning by inning. It was beautiful, and by the middle of the ninth when the Dodgers had won, I had started to tear up. I just kept thinking how I can tell my kids about this moment some day. Last night felt like Christmas. This morning, it felt like someone punched me in the face and told me Santa isn’t real.

I remember telling my boyfriend last night during the game about how silly all the Manny hype is. “You know, he makes a big difference, but he’s not the entire team.” That’s what makes me the most upset. Not that Manny will be gone for 50 games, because I still believe in what my team can do, but all the money, time, and energy spent on this one person. The dodgers made him seem like some sort of god, and now he feels like one big joke. All the pride I felt last night after the Dodgers’ big win flew out the window. I’m embarrassed as a fan, and I hope the team is too.

Apparently, Ramirez was given a medication prescribed by his doctor and he and his doctor had no idea that it went against MLB’s drug policy. Ramirez said, “LA is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I'm sorry about this whole situation.” Well Manny, you should have been more careful. You’ve let down a lot of hopeful fans that looked to you to turn the Dodgers into something great. Let’s just hope that at the end of 50 games, you still have those fans to support you…because who will? Boston? Don’t think so.

2 comments:

I have the say that like you Megan, I feel nothing but sadness and disappointment in a team that I have been a fan of since the day I was born. And I couldn't agree with you more in regards to what a let down Manny has now become. One would think that guys in this business would stop to think about what effect their decisions will have on not only them, but their entire team and their fans as well. I guess the ugly truth is that for many of them, being an athletic hero and inspiration is meaningless... and their sole purpose is the bottom $$. Yet, despite these sad, unfortunate facts, as a fan I will continue to support and have faith in my team. Go Blue!

The Dodgers should do the right thing and release Manny from his contract. All the good that he did to inspire the younger players has been tainted by the cancer that is killing the sport. The Dodgers probably will not win the pennant without Ramirez, but with him the win would be forever tainted. And for Manny to claim that neither he or his doctor had any idea that growth hormone was a banned substance is ludicrous. The ONLY reason to take growth hormone is to get the twins producing testosterone after the 'roids shrunk them down the the size of a salted cashew. Does he think we are really that dumb???